SAUGUS – Saugus High School had a dramatic increase in student enrollment for Advanced Placement classes last year – something principal Michael Hashem thinks is attributed to its recent partnership with Mass. Insight Education.The school partnered with Mass. Insight Education, which focuses on math, science and English language arts, for the first time last year and saw a 166 percent improvement in AP enrollment.To be eligible to take AP classes, students must first pass a qualifying exam, which is given in May by College Board Tests, said Hashem.”We went from 155 exams taken to 365 from 2013-14 to 2014-15,” said Hashem. “The number of qualifying scores, which need to be between 3 and 5, went from 106 to 214. It was a great achievement.”The scores range from 1 for no recommendation to 5 for extremely qualified.Saugus High School had 22 AP scholars, who received a score of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.It had 10 AP scholars with honors, who received an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and scored 3 or higher on four or more exams.There were 14 AP scholars with distinction, who received an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and a score of 3 or higher on five or more exams. It also had four national AP scholars, who received an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken and a score of four or higher on eight or more exams.Mass Insight’s Mass Math and Science Initiative (MMSI) aims to expose more students to AP classes in high school. The initiative’s exam only covers math- and science-related subjects. The town had 59 qualifying students in the 2013-14 school year, and that number jumped to 153 in 2014-15.Hashem said the administration’s goal was to have 86 students qualify and the results far outnumbered their expectations.”It’s quite an accomplishment for staff and students,” Hashem said. “I’m very pleased with the results. I’m very proud of both groups.””By their very nature, AP courses are demanding and rigorous,” said Brendon Sullivan, who is the AP coordinator as well as assistant principal & director of Humanities at the school. “They require a great deal of effort from both the students and the teachers.”The fact that we were able to dramatically increase the number of students taking AP courses and exams, and achieve such a high level of success, is a testament to both the students and the teachers of Saugus High School,” Sullivan said.Sullivan plays a large part in making sure everyone is prepared for the exam and coordinates Saugus’ involvement in AP Saturdays, said Hashem.AP Saturdays are a series of nine Saturdays sponsored by the initiative, during which an expert on a subject offers a class to prospective AP students and staff. There are three different class days for each subject: science, math and English.Some of the classes are held in Saugus and others are held in other districts. Both students and staff are encouraged to participate, said Hashem.The goal is to better prepare students for their AP exams and help teachers understand the best ways for students to learn.”Our staff and other teachers from the town can come in and watch,” Hashem said. “A lot of the staff has gone to try to learn new tricks. It’s a collaboration and cohort that doesn’t always exist.””Over the past few years, we have sent a number of teachers to AP and pre-AP summer training,” Sullivan said.”Working with Mass Insight Education and their MMSI program, we encouraged and supported the increased enrollment in our AP courses,” he said. “This meant breaking down traditional barriers to enrollment in AP courses, and getting students to push themselves by taking these rigorous, college-level courses.”This increase is something that the school is continuing to see now that a new school year is approaching. Registration for AP classes for the upcoming school year was consistent with last year, Hashem said.”We absolutely encourage our students to take an AP class here and there,” Hashem said. “